Do Not Mess With Me
by Belles7
Summary: Akashi Seijuro, the vampire emperor, is locked in his palace by the request of the Royal Party Planner, Momoi Satsuki. Each year, a grand celebration is thrown in Teiko to celebrate the vampire's reign. He is going onto his sixth year of ruling and on the day of the celebration, he meets a peculiar person who's apart of the nomadic train of entertainers. Vampire/AU/AkaKuro!
1. Chapter 1

**Do Not Mess With Me**

* * *

><p>AN: Hola~. Well, since it's practically night time while I'm updating this new story for Belle-chan, I might as well as say: Konbanwa! ^-^

**DISCLAIMER:** Oh yeah, almost forgot, the picture for the story isn't Belles7 property. Check her profile for more info on the artist, etc. ARTIST CREDIT FOR THE IMAGE: xMiharuYoite at deviantart. Check the artist out :)

As you may have suspected, I'm not Belle-chan. I'm a fellow KnB lover XD

And I'm her good buddy (the name's Nanami) just updating this story for her cuz she's too busy doing things. She was itching to update her other story which happens to be really liked by knb fandom. Ahem, anyways, back to _this_ story. She let me (the only person! Yay!) read her work and it's actually kind of interesting. Of course. she won't tell me about the plot line so sorry. I ain't got a clue. I hope you enjoy cuz I know I did. Belle-chan used parts of the song _Do not mess with me_ by Temposhark in this chapter. The lyrics are in italics. She's such an Akashi fanatic. Oh, me? Why thank you for asking. You're such a sweetie pie! I love Kuroko, blue all the way baby! XD

* * *

><p>*Chapter 1: The Vampire Emperor<p>

_..._

_How it all began_

_If truth be told_

_Had a master plan_

_Now I rule the world_

_..._

Akashi Sejiuro. A vampire of noble blood born in the Rakuzan district. Emperor of the vampire world. Ruler of the land comprised of many districts, but only _he_ reigned over the six largest and most powerful districts: Kaijo, Rakuzan, Seirin, Shutoku, Touou, and Yosen.

These six districts encircled a city. This city was the heart connecting all the six districts. This city was the capitol of the united districts, where the emperor himself resided. It was in this very city that he paved his way to royalty; it was also in this city that he unified the six districts and established his reign five years ago.

...

_Took 'em by surprise_

_Worked my way up the hill_

_They looked into my eyes_

_I became invincible_

_..._

Akashi Seijuro is a living legend, an accomplished man no one could win against. Before he became the emperor, he was a quiet but dangerous vampire roaming through the districts with one goal in mind: world domination. To obtain the world, he embarked on a personal quest to create the world's most miraculous and undefeated platoon. As he gathered specific men for his platoon, war broke out all over the continent.

And with the world in chaos, the young vampire decided to seize the chance for world domination. He installed several men from his fresh and new platoon into each of the main districts. He specifically and intentionally left four powerful vampires and formed a squad now known as the Generation of Miracles.

With Akashi leading the five-man squad, they brutally and strategically ended the war. Those standing in their way were killed right on the spot. Those who complied and submitted to the soon-to-be emperor were spared. Those who were impressed and captivated with his glorious authority and strength pledged allegiance to him and his comrades. The vampire's existence simply screamed royalty, dominance, absoluteness and power.

...

_No one can stop me for only I am in control_

_If you want me you better contact my people_

_..._

Two years into the young emperor's reign and he showcased his supremacy to the world again. A vampire by the name of Haizaki Shougo cut off his allegiance with the emperor. He led an army of underlings and launched an attack on Teiko, eager to usurp the throne. Thousands of civilians were murdered. The four miracles single-handedly defeated the army, defending their territory, and Akashi brutally killed the traitor.

The decapitated head of Haizaki Shougo was posted on a pole in the center of the city for public display. A week later and the emperor had the traitor's head burnt to ashes just as he did with the man's body. After that, peace ensued throughout his territories. The civilians gradually came to respect and fear the emperor even more. They were attached to the man for he had saved their lives again and restored their lives with guaranteed security. Akashi's next three years of reigning went perfectly smooth.

...

_In my crown, I am king_

_I love their endless worshiping_

_I am raw, a dinosaur_

_But I will never be extinct_

_..._

Now, Akashi Seijuro was going onto his sixth year of ruling. Every year, a grand celebration was thrown in Teiko to acknowledge the man's achievements and celebrate his everlasting reign. Vampires hailing from any of the six districts were invited to the celebration. Several commanders, who were once apart of Akashi's platoon and now hailed from different districts, always attended the festive event. Civilians residing in the capitol city prepared numerous gifts and interesting activities for the celebration. They cooperated with the royal event planner, Momoi Satsuki.

The pink-haired vampire made sure to keep the emperor locked up in the palace. He would not be able to step a foot outside until the day of celebration came. Plenty of new things were to be presented to Akashi on the day of the celebration. He'd have no idea what hit him but one thing for sure, he'd be ready to tackle it head on because he's _always_ absolute.

...

_So don't mess with me_

_I'll shoot you down_

_Don't mess with me_

_..._

* * *

><p>AN: Ahh~ Guess it's time for me to go. Noooo~ I wanted to read more. I'm on your boat, guys! Trust me.

Belle-chan's sooooo in love with her stories, she pretty much ignores me sometimes. We are roommates man! How can you do that to me? Shouldn't I get a sneak peek? LOL! Just kiddin'. Ya know I love ya, Bellzy!

Give her a review, ne? And, tell her to let me come back...prettttty, prettty pleaaazzzze~. Thanks for reading ;)


	2. Chapter 2

**Do Not Mess With Me**

* * *

><p>AN: Belles here! Nanami updating the story is probably a one-time thing. Sorry- not hating on you Nanami. It's just personal preference and yes, I know you love me. After all, who would willingly share their favorite ice cream with another person? Certainly not Murasakibara! Told her to try writing some stories, but she prefers reading. What ever floats your boat.

Read on, readers :)

* * *

><p><em>*Chapter 2: Day of Celebration<em>

"Wow, who are they?!" exclaimed a little vampire boy. He had gold curly locks; he held his mom's hand as he jumped up and down. The vampire stared at the group of entertainers performing in front of a large audience. She shrugged, not saying anything. This was the first time she saw them. They were probably new entertainers.

"Okaa-san! Okaa-san, can we go closer!"

The mom complied, giving into her little child's request.

A tall, red-haired man stood in the center of a stage, blowing fire out of his mouth as he lit a torch. He grinned as he walked over to the circle ring and tapped the burning flame against the metal. A circle of fire soon erupted, the flames quivered in the evening air.

Kagami Taiga took several steps back as he, then, proceeded to run across the stage and jump through the circle of flames. He landed on the other side of the stage, unscathed, and held his arms out. A loud cheer echoed as the audience clapped excitedly. Soon, a wave of bubbles appeared. The floating translucent spheres were everywhere. A shorter and thinner man dressed in a black tux appeared from the shadows. He wore a fedora hat with his head lowered, concealing his face.

The little kids stared at the man anxiously. What was he going to do?

The man lifted his hands slowly into the air, showing that he had nothing. He brought his palms together, almost as if he was praying, and gradually pulled them apart. A bridge of cards appeared between his two hands. The man lifted his face, revealing his midnight blue eyes. He smiled, his lips a light pink color, and slammed his hands together. The cards folded again, stuck between his palms. When he removed his hands from each other, the cards were gone.

"What!"

"Where did the cards go?!"

"Magic?!"

The blue-haired man bowed and in a blink, he disappeared. The children gasped.

A brown-haired man was suddenly spotted on the stage. He was wore a butler-style outfit and bowed majestically as he announced, "Welcome, ladies and gentleman, to the Phantom Troupe. We are honored to perform in Teiko tonight."

Ogiwara Shigehiro winked at a certain lady in the crowd and whipped out a rose from thin air. He hopped of the stage, smiling charmingly, and sauntered into the crowd; the audience parted like the red sea, wondering who the man was heading to. Ogiwara handed the woman the rose and gently pressed his lips against her hand. She blushed and stuttered a thank you.

The man simply shook his head. "It was my pleasure."

He ran backwards and did two back flips, landing on the stage perfectly. Several other performers walked onto the stage, ready to perform their acts.

Meanwhile, Kuroko Tetsuya was standing underneath the trees. He watched his fellow members perform and heard a soft bark. He bent down and picked up his dog. "You're excited too, aren't you, Nigou?"

The dog nodded, rubbing its face against the magician's chest. The young man chuckled. "I am too."

Kuroko scanned the crowd. "It's almost time for _our_ act, Nigou. Are you ready?"

The dog barked energetically, gently scratching its paws against its owner. The spotlight shifted, beaming all over the place, and Kuroko made his shocking appearance again. This time he stood behind the crowd, making them anxiously search for him. And when they found him, he bowed and took off his hat, waving it around to show that there was nothing in there.

He placed the hat back on his head and pointed at a little girl standing close to him. He walked over to her, a friendly smile on his face, and said, "Would you please remove my hat?"

The girl nodded, anticipating his surprise. He bent down, leveling himself to her height. When she removed the hat, a dog with blue eyes sat on the magician's head. The dog leapt off Kuroko's powder-blue hair and landed in the arms of the little girl. Nigou snuggled its face underneath her chin.

Kuroko stood up and swiped his arm in mid-air. A cloud of glitter blew in the air, flying all over the place. The kids squealed, completely engrossed with the magician. Nigou was suddenly surrounded by little kids who wanted to pet and play with him. The magician looked at the night sky, watching the fireworks explode colorfully. A soft smile appeared on his lips as the next performance took place.

* * *

><p>"Phantom Troupe?" Kise asked. "What's that?"<p>

Momoi shook her head, clutching her clipboard to her bosom. She scanned the area, making sure everything was going fine. She wanted Akashi to have the best party ever. "It's _who_, Ki-chan."

"Who's that?" he re-phrased.

"They're a nomadic train of entertainers."

"Are they good, Momoicchi?"

The pinkette shrugged. "I haven't seen their performances."

"Well! Let's go check it out then!"

When they arrived, they found a brightly lit stage with several people performing. There were animals doing tricks, people blowing fire out their mouths, acrobats flying in the air, bubbles and glitter scattered all over the place. Momoi spotted a young man in a tux surrounded by children. The blue-haired man was doing magic tricks with the help of a look-a-like dog.

"Everyone's having a blast," the pinkette murmured, smiling. She wondered what Akashi was doing.

* * *

><p>"Noo!" Aomine said, shaking his head. His face was flushed and he pointed at Reo, chief commander of the Rakuzan district. "<em>You. <em>You loser. How dare you try to-"

The tan miracle could not finish because he face-planted on the table, drunk and now unconscious.

Reo, dressed in his commander uniform, giggled and poked the unconscious vampire in the cheek. "Someone's a bit too tipsy~"

Akashi crossed his arms. Aomine was bad enough when sober. He didn't need the miracle getting drunk and over-emotional. "Reo, you know Daiki easily gets drunk."

"Duh. That's why I challenged him to a drinking competition." The commander smirked, turning to look at the emperor with a sly look. "I won, Sei-chan. You know what that means~"

Reo made a smooching sound and Akashi snipped his scissors loudly and proudly in front of the man's face. "Entertain me, _Reo._"

The commander pouted. "No fair. Sei-chan's using weapons."

Akashi smirked. "You're drunk."

"No. I'm not." Reo chugged down another cup of beer. He shook his head, his dark hair flapping around. He pressed a hand to his cheek. "Where's Junpei-otouto? I wanna drink with him. That little emo boy gets me worked up!"

Akashi shrugged. He had no idea where the Seirin commander was, but he knew the man was somewhere in Teiko celebrating with his friends.

* * *

><p>"Hah!" Riko shouted. The lead analyst of Seirin district scoffed. She crossed her arms and ran a hand through her short hair. "You know what that F-cup booby girl told me today?"<p>

Hyuga sighed. "What?"

Riko took a shot of alcohol and exhaled loudly. "Kyah! This tastes so freaking good!"

"What were you saying, Riko?" Kiyoshi nudged.

The woman's face contorted with anger and steam blew out her glowing red ears. "That girl made fun of my boobs. AGAIN!"

"Well, Riko," Izuki said, turning to look at her. "It's-"

"Be quiet. I don't wanna hear your stupid puns anymore!" the brunette retorted and continued drinking her sorrows away.

"She's drunk," Hyuga muttered.

"NO. I'M NOT!"

* * *

><p>Akashi had abandoned the drunk duo in the booth a long time ago and was currently walking around the city. There was so much noise and so many people out tonight. He wanted to go back to his room and play shogi in peace. Silence. That's what he wanted. But if a certain party planner found out that he left the celebration early, he'd get an earful of her scolding voice tomorrow morning. Perhaps even earlier. That woman had her connections just as he had his own.<p>

The emperor took a stroll through the public gardens that were also dedicated to him. In the center of the garden, there was a porcelain fountain. Tiny lights were installed in the fountain, making the clear blue water glow at night. Statues encircled the area. Rose bushes added to the inner circular layer with trees on the exterior.

The red head was surprised to hear a person humming softly when he arrived at the usually empty location. There was a young man, no, a teenager, sitting on the edge of the fountain. He had a little white and black dog sitting in a hat on his lap and was playing with the little animal. He smiled, chuckling at the dog. His blue hair glowed in the night, almost blending in with the water flowing brightly behind him.

Kuroko looked straight ahead of him, surprised to see the vampire emperor standing in front of him. He greeted the ruler with a polite smile and bowed his head. "Good evening, Akashi-sama."

Akashi nodded curtly. "Good evening."

Thinking that it would be rude to ignore the man, Kuroko said, "Are you enjoying the celebration?"

Akashi took a seat on the wooden bench across from the unfamiliar person. The red head stared at the moon, seeing the fireworks shoot up into the sky. "It's just like all the other celebrations."

"Then, you are not enjoying yourself?"

"That's what I implied."

Kuroko nodded and Akashi assessed the teenager dressed in a tuxedo. Currently, the blue head had his jacket off and was sitting in his white, button-up dress shirt and black pants. The two top buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a patch of fair skin.

"I assume you're a part of the celebration," the emperor said.

"Yes."

"And what is your occupation?"

Kuroko offered the man a tiny smile. "I am a magician."

"A magician?"

"That's what I said, Akashi-sama."

"Are you a soloist or do you come from a group?"

"I'm a part of a nomadic group of entertainers."

"Called?"

"Phantom Troupe," the blue head replied. He patted Nigou on the head, stroking its fur softly.

"You've completed your performance. That's why you're here."

Kuroko quirked a brow. "Does Akashi-sama not want me to be here?"

Akashi shrugged. The guy's presence wasn't much of a hindrance. In fact, he didn't have much of a presence to begin with. "No."

"I see. You are merely curious then, Akashi-sama," the blue head muttered. He continued, "Yes. My performance finished so I decided to visit the famous gardens of Teiko. They're quite a beauty."

"Indeed," Akashi said. "The gardens look even better at night-"

Kuroko unintentionally cut him off, too absorbed in his thoughts, and said, "It gives off an ethereal sense of beauty. Kind of like a fantasy."

_He's the first person in a long time to interrupt me_, Akashi thought. He observed the magician who had no idea he was staring intently at him. Either that or he just didn't care.

Kuroko bent down and tipped the hat. Nigou hopped out and pattered over to the red head. Using its paws, the puppy touched the emperor's legs. It made a begging sound and Kuroko chuckled. "I'm afraid he wants you to hold him, Akashi-sama."

Akashi stared at the dog, seeing its blue eyes, and looked at Kuroko. He stared for a second and then it clicked. "You two have similar eyes."

"I've been told so."

Nigou barked happily when it was lifted into the ruler's strong arms. It rolled around in the man's arms and reached up to lick his face. Akashi leaned back and sternly said, "No licking my face."

The dog made a sad noise, but obeyed.

"You trained your dog well," Akashi commented, putting Nigou on the bench next to him.

Kuroko nodded. "Nigou's a good dog. He's very nice and obedient. Do you have a dog, Akashi-sama?"

"No. I'd have no time to take care of a dog even if I wanted one."

"I see."

With a snap of his fingers, Kuroko had the little puppy running back to him. It hopped and clung to the blue head's knees. The magician cradled the dog in his arms as if it were a baby. He hummed to the dog and stroked it lovingly.

Akashi cocked his head. Kuroko's humming voice stuck in his head now. He heard that song somewhere but before he could ask the magician about it, Kuroko was already standing up. He put on his jacket and set his hat on his head. Nigou stood by his feet, wagging its tail as it waited patiently.

"I apologize, Akashi-sama, but I must go now," the magician announced. He bowed once, flashed the emperor a friendly smile, and said, "But I'll leave you with a gift."

Akashi quirked his brow and strangely enough, he found himself anticipating the mysterious magician's gift. He watched the blue head take off his jacket again. Kuroko rolled his black jacket into a ball as Nigou barked, cheering him on. The blue head flapped his jacket and as the cloth unfurled itself, a cluster of colorful butterflies appeared and surrounded the emperor.

Kuroko bowed professionally and draped his jacket over his arm. Before he left, he said, "It was a pleasure seeing you again, Akashi-sama."

* * *

><p>Later on in the night when the celebration had finished and the city of Teiko was quiet again, Akashi sat in his bed wide awake for he was too captivated with the blue-haired magician. Indeed, the teenager was right. The garden did give off an ethereal beauty and the addition of Kuroko sitting there made the scenery even better.<p>

Akashi drifted off to sleep but was unable to get rid of the young magician's face. He even saw the blue-haired male in his dreams.

* * *

><p>It was early next morning when Akashi heard an urgent knock on his door. His ruby red eyes flashed open and he sat up in his large bed, saying, "Come in."<p>

Commander Reo entered with a familiar man next to him. The door softly shut and Akashi stared at Mayuzumi, a guard who worked for the noble Akashi house. Mayuzumi Chihiro served as the personal guard of Akashi's father.

"What is it?" the emperor said, getting out of his bed now. He was still wearing his casual clothing. He ran a hand through his red locks, smoothing it out. He looked out the window, seeing that it was still dark outside. He only slept for three hours before they woke him up.

Reo wrung his hands behind his back, uncertain of how to spill the news to the emperor. He knew the outcome wouldn't change no matter how peacefully they approached the situation. Akashi would be furious in the end. The commander opened his mouth, ready to explain, when Mayuzumi suddenly got onto his knees, bowing his head.

He shut his eyes in fear and in sadness as he informed, "The Akashi estate was attacked, Akashi-sama! Your father was assassinated. Several other nobles of the house were murdered. I traveled across the districts to tell you this as it was your dying father's words."

_Well, I guess he had things all under control,_ Reo thought to himself. But still, he was afraid Akashi would insist on an immediate killing spree. The vampire would order a hunt and personally lead the expedition. He wouldn't stop until he killed the murderer with his bare hands.

"Did you see who it was?" a cold voice said. Akashi's eyes were devoid of emotion. The only emotion in his ruby eyes was anger.

Mayuzumi felt shivers all over his body as he stared at the carpet, still kneeling. "No, Akashi-sama. The attack occurred in the middle of night. Not a sound was heard."

Those blazing red eyes shifted to Reo who stiffened. Akashi ordered, "Get some news on Rakuzan immediately."

Mayuzumi looked at the emperor. "Your majesty, the entire estate was lit on fire by the time I left Rakuzan."

"And my father?"

The guard answered, "I moved him to a different location. His body is safe."

"Take me there, Mayuzumi."

"Yes, your highness." Mayuzumi stood up and exited the room. Akashi grabbed his sword and stopped beside Reo. He said, "Take Shintaro and the others with you to Rakuzan. I'll be there late morning."

"Of course," Reo said, serious. He would find the person who infiltrated into his territory and wreaked havoc in the place he called home.

* * *

><p>It was noon when Kagami ran over to his friends. They were sitting on a bench outside a tea shop, peacefully sipping their tea, when the giant red head scrambled over to them. He flapped his hands around like a crazy rabid bird.<p>

"You'll never believe what happened, guys!"

Kuroko looked at the red head, his face blank. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Kagami-kun."

"Me too," Ogiwara mumbled, sipping his warm tea. He took a bite of his dango.

"The emperor's father was killed last night!"

Ogiwara spit out his food and coughed. Kuroko patted the friend on the back, not a single emotion on his pale face. Ogiwara cried out, "What?! That can't be! That old man is like super, super strong!"

Ogiwara and Kagami both turned to look at their blue-haired friend. Kuroko narrowed his eyes. _I guess that means..._

"What are you going to do, Kuroko?" Kagami asked. "Are you gonna visit the old man? I mean, you were his right hand man hundreds of years ago."

"Later," was all the blue head said. He stood up and walked away, wandering into the woods.

Ogiwara quirked a brow, looking excited. "Does this mean we're not on a hiatus anymore?"

Kagami scratched his head. "I hope so cuz I'm tired of entertaining people. I wanna fight and kick some ass again!"

* * *

><p>"Holy shit!" Aomine cursed. "This place is fucked up."<p>

Kise nodded. "You can say that again."

The Akashi estate was now a land of burnt buildings, ashy bodies, and destroyed nature. The trees were dead, colored in black. The shrubs were leaveless and dry. The water well was pitch black. Everything was gone.

Reo walked past them, his eyes glued onto the place where Akashi had grown up. It had only been six years since he left the estate and built his empire. The commander curled his fists into a ball. He let out a dangerous hiss of pent-up frustration.

"Scan the area. Check for any survivors. Should you spot any signs of evidence, call me over. I'll check it out, understood?"

The miracles nodded. They could sense the change in his personality. This man could be kind-hearted and mushy a lot of times, but in dire situations like this he was full on kick-ass and no play commander mode.

* * *

><p>Mayuzumi knocked on a door. A woman opened it, looking wary at first, but when she realized it was only the guard she relaxed. For a second, she thought it was the murderer. She thought the person found out that the head of the Akashi house was hiding in her house.<p>

"Come on in," the older woman said. Her brown eyes widened when she saw Akashi Seijuro standing behind the guard. "A-akashi-sama! It's an honor to meet you again."

Akashi nodded his head, a form of greeting. The woman smiled sadly._ The poor boy must be morning._ She shut the door and led them into the living room. They sat down upon her request and she hurried off into the kitchen to make some tea and prepare a snack.

"Where is he, Mayuzumi?"

The guard stood up and lead Akashi upstairs. They entered a room with only a bed and a body. There were no windows. The woman knocked on the door, declining her head."I apologize, your majesty. I should've have been more considerate and immediately led you to your father."

Akashi didn't reply. He touched the dead man's hand softly. Both his parents were gone now. "I'm bringing his body back to Teiko for a proper funeral."

"Yes. Please do," the woman said. "I wouldn't want the culprit to steal your father's body. He is an important man."

Mayuzumi nodded and Akashi looked at him. "Prepare a carriage."

"Yes, Akashi-sama."

* * *

><p>Midorima stood in front of Reo. "All bodies discovered were deemed dead. Not a sign of life, Mibuchi."<p>

Murasakibara walked over. "Mido-chin's correct. There are no survivors. I just checked the perimeter."

Reo frowned. _The murderer did a good job._ _But why?_ _Unless..._

Aomine scratched his head. "Everything's burnt to ashes, Reo. There's no evidence to search for."

"Man!" Kise exclaimed. "Akashicchi's probably pissed as hell."

"Hell isn't good enough to even describe Akashi's foul mood," Aomine remarked.

"You're right, Daiki."

They all turned around to see the emperor walking toward them. He had an eerily calm expression. His hands weren't balled up into white fists. They were flat; his fingers were relaxed.

"Akashi," Midorima greeted. He spotted the carriage with Mayuzumi sitting in the front, holding the horse reins. "You retrieved your father's body."

Akashi nodded, his eyes sweeping over the destroyed estate. Without a word, he walked back to the carriage. "There's nothing here for us. We're heading back to Teiko. Reo, you're coming with us. Have your second in command tell your men to keep an eye out. Any traitors are to be killed on the spot, understood?"

Reo nodded. "Yes. I'll head to the headquarters first and then catch up with you guys."

The commander leapt onto his horse and sped off. Aomine and the others climbed onto their respective horses and trailed after the red head who ascended the carriage. "Daiki, Shintaro, Ryota, and Atsushi, protect the carriage with your lives."

Murasakibara positioned his horse on the left side of the carriage. "Hai~"

Kise on the right. "Hai!"

Aomine was stuck protecting the rear of the white carriage with Midorima. "Fine."

"Understood."

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes into the trip and Mayuzumi finally glanced at Akashi who silently sat next to him. He had a leg crossed over the other and in his lap, he casually held his sword.<p>

Without looking at the guard, the emperor said, "Spit it out, Mayuzumi."

The guard reached into his jacket and handed the red head a rectangular envelope. He kept his eyes on the road as he explained, "Lord Akashi instructed me to give this to you. I would've given it to you sooner, but you were occupied."

Akashi took the envelope with one hand. He was about to open it when the guard extended his closed fist to him. Mayuzumi unfurled his hand, revealing an ocean blue ring. "It was your father's, Akashi-sama. He instructed me to give this to you."

Mayuzumi stared at the emperor, tightening his grip on the reins. "And this is what Lord Akashi said word for word: 'Seijuro, do not lose this ring. You will need it to find him.' I have no idea what Lord Akashi meant, but I believe you will know once you read the letter he wrote you."

"You fulfilled your task successfully, Mayuzumi," Akashi praised. He slid the ring on his finger, intending to keep it on him at all times; he wouldn't lose his only source of evidence. He proceeded to open the envelope, pulling the folded letter out. He read in his mind:

_Seijuro, if you are reading this letter, then, I must be dead by now. I ordered Mayuzumi to give you this letter and my precious ring. He's the only person I trust and that is why you must take him under your care. Let him stay at the palace; that is a command from your father, Seijuro. _

_Moving onto the next order of business. Do you remember the story of the Shadow Phantom, the one I always told you about when you were younger? That story. The mercenary vampire who killed for a living. He is real. He's not a legend as the rumors and experts claim. That vampire is a close ally of mine. In fact, he used to be my right hand man. Find him and he will tell you the rest of my problems. _

_Avenge me, Seijuro. _

Akashi narrowed his eyes. The Shadow Phantom was real? _He_ was actually an ally of his father?

* * *

><p>AN: I like this story now! Can't believe it came to my mind... XD

Review :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Do Not Mess With Me**

* * *

><p><em>*Chapter 3: Shadow Phantom<em>

"Uh...Kuroko?" Kagami asked, confused, as they walked through the woods together. He stared at Kuroko who was walking in front of them, leading them somewhere. "Don't you think you should've told the group that we're leaving?"

Ogiwara added, sounding hopeful, "For good."

Kuroko effortlessly ducked a drooping branch. "Don't worry. They'll know when we don't return after a day or two. They'll continue giving shows without us anyways."

Ogiwara grinned. "So we're not on a hiatus anymore!"

"Finally," Kagami muttered. He hit his head on the branch and rubbed his forehead painfully. One of his eyes were shut as he said, "150 years of traveling and entertaining people is too much for me. Another hundred years and I would've retired from show business. Permanently."

"Aww, come on, bakagami," Ogiwara cooed, patting the taller guy with pity. "You know we made a fortune off those people."

"Tch! We've made a fortune ever since we formed this little trio." Kagami smiled to himself as he remembered the good days. That was a long time ago when they first formed their little nameless group. They were a band of mercenary vampires who provided their skills as a service. When the noble vampires heard about this mysterious group, they were constantly contacting the trio who, then, did the dirty work for money.

Ogiwara stretched his arms. "Yeah, but it's been a while since we've actually done anything."

"Well, _we_ haven't got to do anything," Kagami stressed, eyeing the magician. He pointed at Kuroko and whispered to Ogiwara, "But _he's_ been doing solo activities. I bet he thinks we don't know."

"I can hear you perfectly clear, Kagami-kun."

"What? No way!"

Kuroko turned to his right, leading them in a different direction now. "Just because I'm a half blood, that doesn't mean my hearing is any less better than yours, Kagami-kun. In fact, I think I'm a better listener than you."

Ogiwara chuckled, headlocking the red head. "Ya know, Kuroko! He's the best when it comes to using the senses, baka. Besides, I already knew he was doing solo activities."

"Like what?" Kagami choked out, trying to elbow Ogiwara in the stomach. The brown-haired male simply leapt back, avoiding the sharp move. The red head narrowed his eyes at Kuroko. "Did you kill anyone? I thought we said we'd stop doing that."

Midnight blue eyes were now staring at him. "I didn't say I killed anyone, Kagami-kun."

"Then what were you doing! I had no idea you were on a mission!"

"I am." Kuroko continued walking.

"And what is it?"

"Lord Akashi wanted me to watch over his son."

Kagami tripped over a tree root and faceplanted. He pushed himself off the floor. "No way!"

"I'm not lying, Kagami-kun."

"That's why you were always gone at night, isn't it? You went to Teiko to babysit the emperor!"

"Yes, Kagami-kun. Though, I suggest you don't say that to Akashi-sama; he might just slit your throat."

"Hah! That pipsqueak's hundreds of years younger than me! He ought to be showing me some respect."

"He won't," said the blue head.

"How are you so sure, Kuroko!"

"It's in Akashi-sama's personality. Did you forget that I've been watching over him, Kagami-kun?"

"God! These Akashis! Why do all of them have to be so fucking stuck up and arrogant!"

"Kagami, you're already giving into fate?" Ogiwara asked. "You haven't even met the emperor face to face yet."

"Who the hell said I was giving up? He's gonna be nice to me. I'll make him! After all, I wasn't called Taiga for nothing!" The red head pounded his fists together. He was known for his monster strength.

"Yes, Kagami-kun. It was also your strength that ruined one of our missions," Kuroko reminded.

"Hey! That was a mistake!"

Ogiwara chuckled. "Yeah and then I had to come and lend you a hand before you got caught."

Kagami scowled. "And Kuroko was just sitting at the base, giving us orders. Way to go, buddy."

"You had everything under control, Kagami-kun."

"So, where are we going?" Ogiwara asked, changing the topic before things escalated.

"I'd like to know what the plan is," the red head muttered.

Kuroko silently gestured for them to walk closer. They flanked him now; one on his left and one on the right. The blue head led them out the wood and pointed at the horses. "We'll be heading to the base. I need to do something."

Kagami grinned. "Yes! We get to steal horses!"

"Uh, Kagami," Ogiwara said. "Those are actually _our_ horses. Kuroko just kept them over here for private uses."

"WHAT! Where's the fun now?"

"Well, we can just race back to the base?" Ogiwara offered. Kagami was already running to his horse with a grin on his face. "See ya later suckers!"

"I'll ambush you!" Ogiwara shouted, hopping onto his horse.

"Don't harm the horses," Kuroko ordered. The two nodded, obeying their leader.

* * *

><p>By the time Akashi and his men arrived in Teiko, it was early afternoon. The city was quiet, a tad of sadness in the atmosphere. There were flowers placed outside the palace gates, signaling the civilian's condolences for the emperor.<p>

Akashi slid off his saddle and walked to the ebony gates. He said, without looking, "Shintaro, find Momoi. Tell her to organize a funeral by this evening."

"Understood."

"Ryota and Daiki go with Mayuzumi and protect the carriage. Have a staff member prepare a coffin."

"Yes, Akashicchi!"

"Reo, follow me. Atsushi, take the horses to the stable."

The commander nodded. He hopped off his horse as the giant miracle gathered all the horses by the reins. He held a sweet candy in the air. "Come on, horses, follow me~"

Akashi stared at the envelope in his hand and proceeded into his palace with Reo next to him.

* * *

><p>"Ogiwara, you almost killed me!" Kagami cried out, angry. He was wrapping his injured arm and glared at the fellow member. One hour was all it took for the trio to reach their secret hideout.<p>

"Sorry," Ogiwara said.

"You don't sound sorry."

Ogiwara grinned. "How'd you know?"

"How would I not know! It's you we're talking about. Did you have to use bombs on me?"

Kuroko walked back into the room with a medical kit. He tossed it to the red head who easily caught it with one hand. The blue head looked at Ogiwara. "Kagami-kun has a point. Why did you use bombs?"

"It was _smoke_ bombs!" Ogiwara defended. "It's not my fault he trailed off the road and fell in a ditch."

"Yeah and my horse was over my dead body!"

Kuroko looked at the red head. "Kagami-kun, you are not dead."

"I could've died!"

Kuroko sighed. "150 years of doing simple things and this is what you two have been reduced to. Pathetic."

"Hey!" the duo shouted, offended. The blue head ignored them and sauntered into a different room. He flipped on the switch, turning on the light, and looked at the wooden table. There were maps scattered all over the table.

Kagami scrunched his nose. "Yeah. Stinks in here. Smells too old and untouched for my taste."

"Then, Kagami-kun, go open the windows."

"Fine."

Ogiwara entered the room, eyeing the environment. He dropped onto the armchair and shifted around until he was comfortable. With a hand cupping his chin, he said, "Man. It's been a while since we've been here. So, what's the plan, Kuroko?"

"We're going to catch the murderer."

Kagami slammed the window open, surprised at the sudden news. He winced when Kuroko gave him a sharp stare. "Sorry, didn't mean to do that."

"Better be careful~" Ogiwara teased. "That window costed a lot."

"Windows don't cost that much _now_," the red head retorted, rubbing his neck.

"Yeah, but they costed a lot centuries ago." Ogiwara smirked.

Kagami sat in a chair. "Just continue speaking, Kuroko."

The magician organized the maps. "I think I know where the murderer might be."

"Really?" Ogiwara voiced.

"Well, considering that you were the old man's right hand man, it's not surprising." Kagami crossed his arms.

The blue head sat on the table. "If he's not personally there, there are people who know him. We can just target them and get intel from them."

"I like it already!" Ogiwara exclaimed. "Where are we going?"

"Kirisaki Daichi district. Prepare any weapons you'll need. Each of you pack some medication. Get your cloak and mask ready. We leave at night," the blue head informed. He gathered the maps and a book in his arms before walking to the door.

"You're not going to visit Teiko?" Kagami said. "They might be doing the funeral tonight."

Kuroko ceased walking and said, "We'll be going to Teiko soon enough. Besides, we're three hours away from the capital. We wouldn't make it on time."

He left without another word. Kagami looked at Ogiwara who shrugged. "Let's get ready, Kagami. What're you taking with you?"

* * *

><p>"Seriously?" Reo said. He blinked and then squealed like a fan girl. He jumped up and down, hugging himself and twirled in little circles. A happy and excited grin graced his lips. "Oh my god! He <em>is<em> real! Yes! Yes!"

Akashi watched the commander jump around like an over-excited child in the palace's private library. He knew the commander was a big fan of the legendary Shadow Phantom, but this was almost to the point of obsession. Actually, the commander had tons of books on the mysterious vampire. He even had posters of the man's title on his wall in his room. Of course, there were no pictures so that was a bummer for Reo. The red head quirked a brow as he said, "Done celebrating now, Reo?"

Reo coughed, recomposing himself. He wore a serious expression and a second later, he grinned again. "I can't believe it! Your dad was friends with _the _Shadow Phantom."

"Allies," Akashi corrected.

Reo waved a hand, dismissing the thought. "They're pretty much friends! Oh my gosh, that means you're indirectly friends with the Shadow Phantom, Sei-chan! Then, I'm indirectly indirectly friends with him too?"

"I'm not friends with the person and neither are you. I've never even met the Shadow Phantom."

Reo pouted. "You just have to ruin the moment, don't you?"

"Reo, be realistic." Akashi stared him dead in the eye.

The commander nodded and took a seat, calming himself down. "So your father left you a letter and his ring. You just burnt the letter and now, you only have the ring left. I assume the ring is the key factor."

Akashi nodded. "I need to find the Shadow Phantom."

Reo whistled. "Well, that's a toughie. Where are you gonna start looking?"

Akashi shrugged. "I need to research more, but father said that the books on the vampire aren't fully correct. And I don't need to be misled any further."

"So, basically, you're lost."

As much as the emperor wanted to deny it, he couldn't. So, he remained silent. He was at a disadvantage and that was rare.

* * *

><p>"Good boy," Murasakibara murmured, patting the horse's head. He was about to feed the animal a piece of candy when Himuro walked over. The chef shook his head at the miracle's antics. "You shouldn't be feeding horses sweets. It might upset their stomach."<p>

"Muro-chin? Why're you here? Shouldn't you finish cooking?"

"I came to get you. You did say you were going to help me cook today. Did you forget?" Himuro reminded.

"Ah~. Sorry. I forgot."

"Come on. Let's go," Himuro said and dragged the purple head with him.

* * *

><p>Momoi paced around in the spacious corridor with her lips pursed. She cocked her head. <em>Lord Akashi's favorite spot was the public gardens. Why not hold the funeral over there in his memory? Maybe I should discuss this with Akashi-kun.<em>

Her high heels clicked as she walked down the corridor. She glanced at her clipboard. A list of supplies for the funeral was checked off. Flowers were ready. The coffin was ready and currently being guarded. All they needed was the location and to inform the civilians of the funeral. _They'd probably want to attend and pay their respects,_ Momoi thought.

She knocked on Akashi's bedroom door. Not a single sound. She frowned. _Library._ She hurried over to the private room and pushed open the oak doors. Akashi was sitting with Reo at a table. The commander smiled charmingly at Momoi.

"Satsuki-chan!" he greeted, waving at her.

She smiled. "Hi, Reo." She looked at Akashi. "Akashi-kun, I need your consent."

"What is it?"

"I was thinking that we hold the funeral at the public gardens since it was Lord Akashi's favorite spot in Teiko. What do you think, Akashi-kun?"

"Proceed with your plan, Momoi. Is everything ready?"

She nodded. "We just need to set up the location; the funeral ought to be ready by 6 pm. Should I inform the civilians?"

Akashi nodded. "Yes. Before you go, Momoi, tell the defenses to tighten up security. Especially during the funeral."

"Of course, Akashi-kun."

Reo watched the pinkette walk out the room. "You do know you only have two hours before the funeral now, Sei-chan? Shouldn't you go pay Lord Akashi a visit before his body is burnt?"

"I will. Soon."

* * *

><p>Kuroko locked the windows and headed to the weaponry room where the other two were. He descended the stairs, hearing their bickering voices. He knocked on the open door lightly and the two vampires stared at him; both of them had their hands on each other's faces, pulling their cheeks.<p>

"Kuroko?" they asked, surprised to see him.

"Ready?"

"Is it time already?"

The blue head replied, "We're leaving two hours early. The weather looks grim. It's best to get there before nature strikes."

"Oh okay," Kagami said. He grabbed his sword and hooked it on the side of his pants. He threw on his black cloak and grabbed the dark mask. There was a pack wrapped around his waist, containing the medicine.

Ogiwara wore a belt with hand-size smoke bombs, grenades, and four to seven plastic vials of poison. There was a small pouch hooked on his belt, containing ointment and antidotes as well. He tightened his black combat boots, tucked the ends of his pants into the black boots, and tied his shoe laces.

Kuroko watched Ogiwara slide on his cloak, all of them matching now. "Kagami-kun, tie your boots. I don't want you tripping again."

"Huh? I thought I tied it."

"Well, you didn't," Ogiwara muttered. He strapped a blade to his thigh, pushing his cloak to the side a bit. He glanced at the leader. "Ready, Kuroko?"

"Of course." The blue head hid his face with the black mask. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>When Akashi entered the guarded room where his father's body laid, Aomine and Kise left the room at his command. Mayuzumi remained in the room with the emperor who instructed him to stay.<p>

"Yes, Akashi-sama?" the guard asked.

"You'll be staying in the palace from now on."

"I see. What will I do, Akashi-sama?" the vampire asked.

"What do you want to do, Mayuzumi?"

"I'd like to continue my guard duties."

"I can place you on the royal defense team. You'll be protecting the city."

"I'd be honored to do that, Akashi-sama."

"I'll have someone train you a week from now. Take this time to settle down and adjust to Teiko, Mayuzumi. You may go now. Find Daiki. He'll show you to your room."

Mayuzumi bowed once and left the emperor in silence. He was relieved to have a place to stay now.

Akashi took a step closer and stared down at the open coffin. His red eyes swept over the elderly man who had the same red hair as him. There were a few wrinkles on his sleeping face. His arms were placed by his sides. He laid in the box with his body straight.

"I'm having trouble trying to find him, father...how can I avenge you if I can't find the Shadow Phantom?"

* * *

><p>By the time Kuroko and the others arrived in Kirisaki Daichi district, the sun had already set. Kirisaki Daichi was known to be one of the most dangerous districts because of its constant crime activities and chaos. The trio left their horses in the outskirts of the main city, knowing that if they brought their horses onto the territory, someone was bound to steal the animals.<p>

They walked in the dark and not a sound was made. They intended on entering peacefully and leaving the city without a trace. Blue eyes narrowed behind a black mask as the trio hid in the shadows. The streets were crowded with drunkards, beggars, and civilians who rushed back to their homes.

"Where are we going?" Kagami whispered.

"There's a specific bar where the murderer and his minions reside at night," Kuroko said. He came here multiple times with Lord Akashi several hundred years ago.

"And what's the plan? Are we gonna barge in there and flip their world upside down?" Ogiwara suggested.

"No. I'll infiltrate the bar undercover," the magician said. He took off his cloak and mask, handing it to Ogiwara. There was a satchel strapped around his shoulders. The blue head opened the bag and pulled out a blonde wig, styled with wavy hair.

Kagami gawked. "You did not take that from the troupe, did you?"

"Where else do you think I would've got it, Kagami-kun?"

The red head shook his head. "She's gonna be so pissed when she finds out that one of her wigs are missing."

"She likes me, so she won't get mad."

"Are you going to return it?"

Kuroko shrugged. "Probably not. We won't be going back to the troupe any time soon."

He situated the wig on his head and fixed his now shoulder length hair, smoothing it out. With a flip of his new hair, the magician asked, "How do I look?"

Ogiwara assessed the blonde Kuroko. He wore dark pants, combat boots, and a white shirt underneath his grey overcoat. For a guy, the vampire was quite short and small-framed. His fair skin definitely made him more feminine and the blue eyes matched the blonde hair. Ogiwara gave him two thumbs up. "You look like a girl."

"A weak and frail girl," Kagami muttered. "What if someone leeches onto you?"

Ogiwara chuckled. "Kuroko doesn't flirt."

"Cuz he _can't_ even flirt." Kagami shook his head.

Kuroko quirked a brow and answered, "I'll stab them in the heart with a knife."

The magician patted his overcoat, laced with weapons beneath it. Ogiwara sighed and simply pushed the man into the street. "Good luck. We'll be listening." He tapped the device on his ear.

Kagami sighed. "We don't even need that. Did you forget vampires have exceptional hearing, stupid."

"Hey, it makes me feel cool! So shut up!"

Then, they both heard Kuroko's voice on the line. "Stop yelling in my ears. Both of you."

"Hai," they said in a softer tone.

Kuroko entered the bar and the welcome bell dinged. No one really paid attention to him, but some eyes shifted in his direction. Those eyes scanned over him, not detecting him, and resumed its original positions.

The blonde sat on a stool by the counter. A bar tender was cleaning glass mugs with a white towel. He looked once in Kuroko's direction, gazing over him, and re-looked again when he thought he spotted something. His eyes widened when he saw a blonde girl sitting alone.

He walked over and asked, "What would you like, Miss?"

Kuroko said in a soft tone, "What do you have, mister?"

He grinned. "Ya want alcohol, water, or blood?"

"Alcohol's fine."

"Type of drink? We have-"

"Strawberry Margarita," the blonde replied. The man nodded and skipped away to make the drink.

Kuroko heard Kagami warn on the line, _"Don't get drunk."_

Ogiwara added, _"Or poisoned. You never know." _

"Got it," the blonde muttered quietly. He sat waiting for the drink when he heard the vampires talking about the death of Lord Akashi.

"Can't believe he's actually dead."

"Yeah. It was about time the man died."

"It was gonna happen. You know Lord Hanamiya was gonna get his revenge. He always does. After all, he did wait six hundred years for this day."

Kuroko remained expressionless as he listened to the conversations.

"But to target the emperor's father? Shit is gonna go down!"

"I'm surprised the little Akashi hasn't even stepped a foot in our territory yet."

"Probably cuz he's morning?"

"Or he doesn't know who killed the man."

Kuroko set his chin on his linked hands, staring at the wall with boredom. Even though he had his back to those people, he could tell they were non-important underlings of Hanamiya Makoto. A minute later and some random guy was sitting next to him.

"New to the bar?" the vampire asked, gazing at Kuroko.

The blonde turned to look at the newcomer. "How'd you know?"

The man chuckled. "I'm a frequent customer. I'd know who's new and who's not."

Kuroko feigned a shy and embarrassed look. All those acting practice sessions with the troupe were finally paying off. "Oh..."

"So what's a girl like you doing in a bar like this?"

"I just joined."

Kagami said on the line, _"Uh, dude, what're you talking about?" _

The man quirked a brow, looking at the girl skeptically. She was speaking in codes. " 'Joined'?"

Kuroko nodded and tucked his blonde hair behind an ear. He whispered, trying to look discreet, "...are you...you know... apart of-"

The man held up a hand and nodded. "I'm a flower spider."

Kuroko smiled. "Me too. Well, now I am."

"You must've impressed the boss," he commented. "For him to let a girl into the crew, that's a new one."

"Is that a compliment?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Say what's your name?"

"Kazuhara Rin."

"Rin, huh?" he said, flashing the blond a charming smile. He looked around. "Are you waiting for someone?"

Kuroko smiled. "Something, actually. I'm waiting for my drink."

"How about I pay for your drink as a form of celebration for your acceptance into the crew?"

"Oh, I mustn't let you do such a thing. You're my senior." Kuroko his face behind his hands. Kagami made a gagging noise.

"Don't worry. We're colleagues."

Kuroko nodded. "If you insist...?"

The man smiled. "Saito Daisuke."

"Well, then, Daisuke-san," Kuroko said. "I'll be relying on you."

He grinned and leaned closer. "Go ahead, Rin-chan."

Kuroko smiled, his blue eyes closing. This man was going to end up dead.

The bartender came back and handed Kuroko the strawberry margarita. He looked at the new customer and smiled, "Ah. Daisuke, you got yourself a girl?"

Kuroko faked a cough and blinked. "I'm afraid that's a misunderstanding."

The bartender laughed. "Sweetie pie, you're such a cute girl."

Daisuke smiled, his eyes sweeping over the clothed blondie. "Rin-chan is a cutie."

Kuroko looked the other way, trying to make himself appear abashed. "Daisuke-san."

"Daisuke's fine, Rin-chan."

"Then, call me Rin, too." Blue eyes looked back him, insisting.

The man nodded and gave his order. The bartender disappeared and Daisuke said, "Do you have any plans after this?"

Kuroko shook his head. "I'll probably be going home after this."

A dark glint appeared in his brown eyes. Daisuke said with worry, "A girl shouldn't be going home alone at night, especially in Kirisaki."

Kuroko nodded. "True, but you can't do anything to help it."

"I'll walk you home."

"Really?" Kuroko said with fake surprise. "Are you sure? I don't want to intrude on your time."

He shook his head and Kuroko noticed him subtly slide his right hand off the counter top, hiding his hand under the counter now. He slipped off his wedding ring and tucked it in his pocket. Kuroko felt immediately disgusted with the man, but forced a innocent smile. "Thank you very much, Daisuke!"

"No problem. Anything for Rin."

Kuroko frowned, making a sad look. "I haven't seen boss lately. I wanted to talk to him about my next mission."

Ogiwara muttered, _"Kuroko, you better have an alibi ready." _

Daisuke tilted his head. "Boss is probably busy preparing for his next attack. I heard he's not in the city currently. Maybe you can see him next week. Anyways, is your mission tonight?"

The blonde widened his eyes. "How did you know, Daisuke?"

He chuckled at the 'girl's' naiveness. "Everyone's been anticipating the mission. We're gonna assassinate the emperor after they finish the funeral. Only fifty of us have been picked. It's kind of ironic, isn't it? The emperor just held a funeral and soon, it'll be his funeral."

Kuroko smiled sincerely. "I'm glad I met you, Daisuke. I look forward to working with you."

The man stood up, unable to restrain himself any longer, and said, "Do you wanna go somewhere else?"

"Sure," the blonde responded.

Daisuke placed some money on the counter. He smirked to himself as he led them out the bar. _This was easy._ He opened the door for the short girl and let her out first. Kuroko spotted the alley where Kagami and Ogiwara were and turned to look at the man.

"Ne, Daisuke," he said in a feminine voice. "We could hang out at my place."

The vampire smiled. "Sure. Let's go."

Kuroko gently grabbed the sleeve of Daisuke's jacket as they walked in the cold night. The were a few people lingering around. The street lights were dim and needed to be changed immediately, but that wouldn't happen since no one in the Kirisaki district really cared. Darkness was normal in the city.

"Where do you live, Rin?"

Kuroko stopped half a foot in front of alley and said in his normal voice, "Right here."

Daisuke's eyes widened when the blond punched him in the stomach. Kuroko shoved the vampire into the shadowy alley with one push. The vampire stumbled to the ground. "The hell? Who are you?"

Kuroko touched his blonde hair and said innocently, "Kazuhara Rin."

The magician held his arm out when the vampire tried to run. "What were you saying about the mission tonight, Daisuke?"

"Y-you're not a girl!"

"That's obvious. Now answer my question."

"I'm gonna kill you!"

Daisuke charged at the blonde who was already headlocking the man. Kuroko pressed a blade against the vampire's throat. He flipped his hair back as it was hanging over the man's shoulder. He said, "Where are the other 49 people? You're one of them."

"You're already too late."

Kuroko pressed his lips into a thin line. "You're wasting my time, Daisuke."

The vampire shuddered at the cold voice. He spat out, "They've already left the city by now. You won't catch them. They're some of the best fighters we have!"

Kuroko jumped back when the man swiped a pocketknife at him. Daisuke stood up now, wary of the shorter male. He narrowed his eyes and was going to escape when Kagami and Ogiwara, both masked and fully cloaked, appeared in front of him. The trio cornered the man, locking him in the center.

"W-who are you guys?"

Ogiwara chuckled. "Don't have a group name."

"Yep, never did decide on that," Kagami muttered.

"No one touches the emperor as long as I'm here, Daisuke," Kuroko warned.

Daisuke turned around to look at the blonde who flung the blade at his chest. The vampire crumbled to the floor, crying out in pain. Kuroko shoved a rag in the man's mouth as he crouched down. He placed a black mask over his face. Only his blue eyes were visible now.

The man's eyes widened when the blonde hair was removed, revealing light blue hair. _A spy?_ He wondered to himself.

"You'll have to die here. Consider it punishment for killing Lord Akashi," the blue head said. His eyes were devoid of emotion. Only a cold gaze remained.

Daisuke shook his head. His muffled voice said, "I..mgwah...not...dg..kill."

"I don't show mercy for those who side with the murderer," was all Kuroko said. He signaled for Ogiwara to shoot a poison-laced needle. Daisuke's body stiffened. His eyes rolled and his head dropped against the cement ground. A dark pool of blood stained the man's shirt.

Kuroko stood up. "Light him on fire. We're heading straight to Teiko."

"Oooh!" Kagami exclaimed. "I'll light him on fire!"

Ogiwara watched with concern as the red head happily poured gasoline over the dead body. He crossed his arms. "I don't know if I should be concerned, Kuroko. He gets so worked up over things like igniting people on fire."

He looked at the masked Kuroko, seeing the red-orange fire reflected in those blue orbs. _Kuroko?_

* * *

><p>"Shit! It's raining now!" Aomine muttered. He tried to cover himself as the funeral was almost done. The civilians, palace staff members, commanders, miracles, and Akashi all watched the coffin burn in the public garden. Lord Akashi was reduced to ashes and the coffin bursted into a shower of sparks.<p>

Akashi turned to look at the miracles. "Shintaro, Daiki, Atsushi, Ryota, stay here. Make sure the body is completely reduced to ashes. After that, have the staff members clean up."

Reo was standing with the other commanders. Hyuga bowed his head respectfully when the emperor walked past them. Riko did the same.

Akashi stopped in front of Reo. "Check on the defense, Reo."

The commander nodded. Akashi continued walking and Momoi hurried over to him with an umbrella. "Akashi-kun, take this."

"I don't need it. Use it for yourself, Momoi," the red head said. He looked at her. "And tell the civilians to go home soon. They don't need to stay in the rain. The funeral's practically over."

Momoi nodded and rushed to the people. Akashi walked back to the palace alone. He opened the black gates and ascended the cement stairs up to the grand doors. He entered the palace and wandered through the empty corridors. The palace was silent as the rain poured. Akashi walked into a large and spacious room, the place where he was crowned emperor of the vampire world. He sat on his regal throne alone in the dark room.

Thunder boomed. Lightning flashed and the throne room was lit up for a quick second. Akashi crossed his leg and simply sat, lost in his thoughts.

* * *

><p>Reo was walking to the gates of Teiko where a good portion of the defense guards were situated. Hyuga and Riko walked beside him in the rain with no umbrella. They didn't think it was going to rain this bad. Thunder and lightning flashed in the dark evening sky.<p>

"How ominous," Riko muttered, staring at the dark clouds.

And then there was a loud explosion.

"What a coincidence," Hyuga remarked sarcastically as they rushed to the city entrance. There were guards scattered all over the floor. Some were crushed by blasted chunks of the stone wall. Some were not crushed, but injured. Some were fighting the masked enemies, trying to hold their ground.

Reo caught dark figures running on the roof at a quick pace. "Hyuga, Riko. Go tell the others about this! I'll take care of things here."

The Rakuzan commander withdrew his sword and swiftly decapitated his opponent. The Seirin duo hurried back to the palace, hoping the emperor was okay.

* * *

><p>"What the fuck?" Aomine said. He was standing in the public garden when he heard a loud explosion coming from Reo's direction. He kicked one of the dark-clothed enemies in the face and plunged his sword in the man's chest. He ripped his sword out the body and sliced at another one, protecting a civilian.<p>

Aomine shouted, "Satsuki! Take them to shelter!"

Momoi rushed them away from the battle field. One of the infiltrators jumped off a building and blocked the civilian's path. Momoi stood in front of the mother.

"I'll crush you," Murasakibara threatened darkly. He rammed his fist in the man's face, sending the shorter man tumbling away. "Sa-chin, hurry."

"Everyone this way!" the pinkette shouted, waving her hand in the direction. "Hurry and keep your eyes on me!"

Midorima scanned the area after disposing his opponents. "Who's guarding Akashi?"

The miracles all looked at each other. If they were all here, then who was with...?

"Akashicchi!"

"Aka-chin."

"Shit!" Aomine cursed.

They ran to the palace but were constantly delayed with fights in the streets.

* * *

><p>"Look at these fools," Ogiwara said as they stood on the roof of a house in Teiko. "Kirisaki's copying us now. We started the trend of wearing all black masks! They better not wear black cloaks now!"<p>

"Geez. Do ya gotta make us sound so old?" Kagami remarked. He removed his mask and shook his face. "The rain's getting into my mask!"

"Don't fall off the roof. It's slippery with the rain pouring down so hard," Kuroko said. The magician stared at the palace and saw the blobs of black rushing into the palace.

"Let's crash the party, Kuroko," Kagami said. He placed his mask back on.

Ogiwara nodded. "Just like the old times."

"We'll take the back route to avoid less people," Kuroko informed.

The trio diligently ran across the roofs, traveling in an arc as they headed to the palace.

* * *

><p>"God damn it!" Aomine shouted. "Why won't you fucking die!"<p>

He spun around and stabbed another attacker. Kise twisted his opponent's arm, ripping it off the body, and stabbed his blade into the man's back. Midorima wiped the rain away from his face. Murasakibara slammed a man's head against the wall. The miracles were completely soaked from the heavy rainfall.

They quickly entered the palace gates and rushed up the stairs.

"Akashi better be slaughtering people where ever he is," Aomine muttered under his breath. If that man died on them, he'd be shocked as hell.

* * *

><p>"Prepare to die, Akashi," a completely masked man said. His men surrounded the emperor who sat on his throne, unperturbed.<p>

Akashi cocked his head. "You've got confidence. I like it. How about you show some dignity and fight me face to face. No mask."

A smirk appeared on the emperor's face. Lightning flashed, temporarily brightening the room. The masked leader caught a glimpse of Akashi's dark expression. His red eyes glowed with bloodlust.

Before Akashi could stand, there was a loud crash. The stained-glass windows shattered as three cloaked individuals made their grand entrance, landing perfectly on their feet.

"AKASHI!" the miracles shouted, barging into the room. They were a second too late for they had missed the grand entrance. Aomine shook his head, wondering what was going on. The red head was merely sitting on his throne with an bored expression. He was surrounded by those men dressed all in black. Then, there was the cloaked and masked trio standing by the shattered windows.

"Oh boy," Kise muttered.

"Sa-chin's gonna be mad when she sees this," Murasakibara finished.

Midorima sighed. Momoi wasn't just only the royal event planner but she was also the interior designer for the palace. The throne room was her masterpiece as she once put it. _Oha Asa. Please don't let her come here. She'll taint her hands with blood willingly. _

"Sei-chan!" Reo yelled with worry, appearing at the other entrance to the room. He spotted the miracles across from him, clumped together. He sighed in relief when Akashi was perfectly fine.

Lightening flashed. The room lit up again.

The miracles took a step simultaneously and Kagami pointed at them with his sword. "Back off, kids! They're mine!"

The tall red head took off his mask, revealing his identity, and tossed it on the floor. He tore his cloak off, revealing his combat boots, jeans, and normal grey shirt.

"Who are you!" Kise demanded. "Don't you dare lay a hand on Akashicchi!"

Kagami snorted. "Forget the emperor. I want these guys!"

Kagami charged into battle, quickly slaughtering his opponents. Ogiwara sighed at the red head's actions and took his mask off along with his cloak. He threw his smoke bomb into the area and quickly slashed at the men with his blade. Once in a while, his hand would go to his belt and grab the vials. He'd snake his way through the smoke and pour the poison down his opponent's throat before sending them into the air with a kick.

The miracles stood, peering in the dark, as the unfamiliar duo fought in the cloud of smoke.

"I wanna fight too," Aomine muttered.

"They say they're on our side, Aominecchi."

"When did they say that, Kise?" Midorima asked, skeptical.

Murasakibara nodded. "What about him?" He pointed at the still standing, masked and cloaked, blue head.

Thunder boomed loudly. The rain slanted, falling into the room now.

Kuroko spotted two of the enemies heading to Akashi. The magician bent down, making Reo wonder what he was doing, and picked up two sharp pieces of the shattered window. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the glass shards at the two enemies and it stabbed the side of their temples. They cried out in agony and stumbled back. Kagami's sword slashed them.

Akashi shifted his red eyes, staring at the unfamiliar masked man. The blue hair reminded him of the young magician he met yesterday night. But, this man didn't have a dog with him. So it couldn't be _that_ man.

The smoke began to fade and Kuroko heard Kagami shout, "Damn it!"

Kuroko took a step in their direction.

"No! I don't need your help, Kuroko!" Kagami said, seeing the blue head move a foot.

Ogiwara sighed and ducked as the red head plunged his sword into the enemy lurking behind Ogiwara. The brown-haired male rolled away and got back on his feet, dusting his pants. He watched the red head continue to fight and glanced at the magician. "Someone grazed his arm with a sword."

Kuroko cocked his head. "Kagami-kun's injured arm?"

Reo and the miracles watched the two casually talk. Ogiwara nodded. "Yep. Should I help him?"

"He'll get mad, but it's better than having him even more injured."

Ogiwara launched himself back into the fight. Reo narrowed his eyes at the blue head. _Why is he still wearing his mask?_

Suddenly, another wave of enemies flung into room via the crashed window. Kagami turned to look at the new group. He smirked. "Sorry, but we already came through there."

Kuroko said without looking at his member, "Kagami-kun, please don't provoke them."

The blue head scanned the new group, counting the amount of people. _Ten_. He raised his hands to undo his cloak. The newcomers didn't notice him for they were too busy staring at the emperor.

"Kill Akashi."

Reo was about to step in when Kuroko removed his mask. He flung it out the open window. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that. Akashi-sama must live."

"Who are you? A small fry?"

Kuroko bowed and with a majestic gesture, he removed his cloak and gripped it in his hand. He held it like a bull fighter held his red cape. "I'm a mere magician, but perhaps I can entertain you for now?"

Reo quirked his brow. Who was this kid? Akashi gripped the arms of his throne. It really was the teenager from yesterday night! He watched the magician, intrigued by the sudden revelation.

A man charged at Kuroko who stepped aside and covered the man with his cloak. Then, there was a scream. The miracles turned to look at the blue-haired teen who removed the cloak only to reveal a headless man and a twitching body.

"Great," Kagami said, rolling his eyes. "Why does Kuroko always have to steal the spotlight?"

Kuroko angled his blank face, staring at the nine people. "Next."

The second man slashed at Kuroko's hands, trying to cut the cloak. A light smile graced the blue head's lips as he tossed the cloak at the man willingly. The cloak was split into two pieces in mid-air. With the man's attention focused on the two pieces of cloth, Kuroko smoothly pulled out a special card from his grey overcoat and stepped to the side, shutting one blue eye in concentration as his wrist curved. He threw the card. It sliced the man's throat and cut off one of the nearby member's right ear. The card pierced the wall, sticking flat out.

Blood trickled down the other man's ear. Blood sprayed out from the man's slit throat. Screams of pain echoed in the room as the two men dropped to their knees, clutching their wounds.

Kuroko held up two fingers. "Double attack. Next?"

The seven members moved away from the magician. Kuroko shook his head. "That won't do. I need volunteers."

Kuroko took a step and one person said, "G-get away!"

The blue head picked up one of the enemy's sword and swiped it in the air. The blood splattered onto the wall. Midorima shut his eyes. Momoi was going to be furious.

"It's fine; I'll come to you."

The seven members blinked and suddenly, the magician was gone. Soon, three of them were lying on the ground dead. One screamed loudly. The other three ran in Kagami and Ogiwara's direction. Kuroko followed the escapees, trailing the sword on the ground. There was a screeching noise. A line of blood was drawn on the tiled floor.

The last three enemies were surrounded.

"Spare us! Please!"

Kagami snorted. "Please. Like we're gonna do that? It's been a while since we've fought."

Ogiwara smacked the red head. "You're gonna blow our cover, baka!"

Reo narrowed his eyes. These three were suspicious.

Kuroko pointed the sword at one of the men, setting it right between the person's eyes. "What will you do if I let you go?"

"What?!" Kise shouted. "You can't let him go!"

"I'll kill him then!" Aomine said, stalking over as he rolled up his wet sleeves.

Kuroko continued speaking in his cold voice. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not in the mood to be merciful."

Aomine ceased walking. Chills running up his arms from the emotionally detached voice. _I think I just found another Akashi._ He shut his eyes when the magician shoved his sword through the man's head.

"Gah," Kise muttered. He looked away. That blue head was brutal. _Did he have to kill him like that?_

Akashi's eyed widened at the demonstration. He was even more intrigued now.

Kuroko took two steps, moving to the next person. Kagami and Ogiwara stepped aside. The blue head stood in front of a cowering man. His midnight-blue orbs were dark, full of anger.

"I thought about it for a second," the blue head said, eerily calm.

Everyone was listening to the magician's voice intently. The rain continued to soak the tiles wet; puddles of water now appeared on the floor. The cold wind howled. Lightning flashed and the sitting man looked up to see an enraged face.

"W-what do you mean?"

"Like your friend said, I could've released you three and had you guys send a message to your leader. But then, I thought to myself 'what's the point'? I'd have to hunt you three down again and kill you, so why not just do it now?"

Kuroko placed the tip of the sword on the base of the man's neck. "Besides, I'd rather be the one standing face to face with your leader."

Akashi stood up now. This boy knew something.

"P-p-please," the man stuttered.

"Death doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Kuroko cut off the man's head. The head rolled over to the miracles. Kise hopped away from it. The man's body collapsed to the floor. The magician smiled emotionlessly at the last member.

"You're the lucky winner."

The man whimpered as Kuroko leaned forward and said, "Where's your leader?"

He shook his head. Kuroko stood straight again, his posture erect. He slightly raised his voice. "I'll ask you again. Where is your leader?"

"I-I don't know."

Thunder crackled. Kuroko placed his foot on one of the dead bodies. He trailed a finger down the bloody sword and casually said, "Lord Akashi was killed. If I was there the night he was killed, you wouldn't be here. Do you know why?"

Akashi descended the stairs. He needed answers now. This teen was no ordinary magician. The miracles flanked their leader as he dared to cross the room. Reo joined the group as they neared the trio.

"N-n-no."

Kuroko nodded, thinking to himself. He lifted the sword and hovered it over the vampire's heart. "I'll tell you why. If I was there last night, Lord Akashi wouldn't have been the one dead. Your leader would've been the one killed."

The miracles watched the man's body double over as his eyes lolled backwards. His head hit the floor the same time thunder roared in the sky. The rain was lighter and gentler now. It softly pattered against the floor.

Kuroko turned around to look at the emperor who stood a foot away from him. The miracles surrounded him with one commander present. Kagami and Ogiwara separated, standing on both sides of the magician.

"Who are you. What's your purpose. How do you know my father," Akashi ordered, expecting the magician to immediately respond.

"Hey, that's not nice. Especially when we just saved your ass," Kagami remarked, grumpy.

The emperor glanced at the taller red head who looked the other way, cursing under his breath. He looked back at Kuroko who said, "If I said I'm a magician who serves to entertain people and once performed for Lord Akashi, would you believe me, your majesty?"

Akashi said, "I wouldn't, not when I heard everything you just said. You know my father. Explain yourself before I kill you."

In a flash of lightning, the emperor already had his sword placed at Kuroko's neck. Aomine gaped. _Why's he got to be so quick to act!_

Kagami chuckled. "That doesn't faze him, kid."

"Hey! I'm not a kid, you geezer!"

Before the two could argue any further, the two leaders said at the same time, "Be quiet."

Akashi and Kuroko looked at each other, surprised that they said the same thing at the same time. Kuroko gently pushed the sword away from his neck with the sleeve of his overcoat, saying, "You wouldn't want to kill your father's ally now, would you?"

Ruby eyes widened in shock and recognition. Akashi removed his sword away from Kuroko. "You're-"

Kuroko bowed. "The Shadow Phantom is at your service."

* * *

><p>AN: Aaaaand I am back! Thanks for all the reviews :D Hope you enjoyed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Do Not Mess With Me**

* * *

><p><em>*Chapter 4: A new contract<em>

"You're joking, right?" Aomine asked, full of disbelief. He couldn't even laugh because the so-called Shadow Phantom wore a serious deadpan expression. And after witnessing this petite vampire kill twelve people by himself, the tan miracle decided not to flat out laugh in the vampire's face.

Kuroko quirked his blue brows and looked at his teammates. "Last time I checked, which was about 500 years ago, my sense of humor had not changed."

Kagami nodded, looking grim, and pointed at the blue head. "This guy does not kid around, guys. He's seriously got 0% humor." Or so that's what the red head thought.

"I met him first and I can assure you Kuroko is not lying to you," Ogiwara added. "He really is the Shadow Phantom."

"Of course, I understand why you would not believe me. I'm apparently too fictional be real," the magician said. He tossed the bloody sword onto the ground and stared at the miracles. "Not that I mind."

Kise snapped his fingers. "Ah! You guys were the performers from last night!"

Ogiwara grinned, growing excited. "So you do remember us!"

"Please," Kagami muttered, waving a hand. "No autographs. I've had enou-"

"We wouldn't want your stupid signature anyways," Aomine retorted.

"Huh? You little punk. Come here. I'm gonna teac-"

"Kagami-kun?" Kuroko said questioningly, eyeing the red head from the corner of his eyes. Kagami chuckled nervously; his levitated fist stood awkwardly in the air. He lied, "Ah, Kuroko. I was just gonna teach him the ways of...show business."

Ogiwara snickered. "_Right_. Says the man who wanted to retire early."

"Shut up!" Kagami tried to hit the brown-haired vampire who dodged.

Kuroko looked back at Akashi. "Allow me to properly introduce myself to you, Akashi Seijuro. My real name is Kuroko Tetsuya. I was your father's right hand man back in his days of glory."

The miracles gaped. This kid was lying, right? Reo found himself believing the magician even more.

"You really are the Shadow Phantom," Akashi said.

"I'm glad you realize it. I assume your father informed you about our alliance?"

Akashi nodded. Reo blinked in disbelief. _The_ Shadow Phantom was standing right in front of him. The commander looked just about ready to faint from the unbelievable sight. The miracles were still not convinced, but they didn't dare to challenge the phantom when their emperor just acknowledged him. Ogiwara looked at the dead bodies in the throne room and awkwardly said, "I don't mean to interrupt your lovely discussion, but what are you guys gonna do with _them_?"

He pointed at the corpses. Akashi merely glanced behind him. "I'll have them properly disposed of."

The emperor looked at the miracles; his stare alone commanded them to get to work. Aomine sighed, dragging his feet. Midorima grunted in annoyance. Kise pouted. _I really don't want to get dirty._ Murasakibara stared at the bodies with disgust because they definitely were not edible and they definitely did not taste good.

Akashi turned to look at Reo. "You too, Reo. Get to work."

"What? Why me?" Reo whined. He snuck a glance at the blue head. _He's cute and fluffy._

Kagami sighed. "Now, now. I can tell what you're thinking, commander. 'Oh wow! Kuroko's such a cutie! I wanna squeeze him and hug him non-stop!'" The red head shook his head and placed his hand on the magician's head, ruffling the powder-blue hair. He said, "This guy is actually 869 years old. Don't be deceived by his generous looks."

All the miracles gawked. Aomine's jaw dropped to the floor and Murasakibara, who barely caught his lollipop, was the one to shut the hanging mouth. Midorima coughed and tried to recompose himself. _Perhaps he really is the Shadow Phantom._

Kise skipped back over to the phantom and grabbed his tiny hands. Awe was written all over his face as he got onto his knees. His gold eyes glittered in the dark room. "Oh, great and mighty Shadow Phantom, please do tell me your secrets to everlasting youth and beauty! You see, I am also a model and I need to maintain my radiant beauty. How can achieve your status?"

Kagami facepalmed. "You weirdo! Kuroko stopped aging at the age of 16! That's why he still looks like a teen!"

Ogiwara nodded, looking quite happy. "That's why we get things for a cheaper price, too! People think he's really adorable so we use him to our advantage. Works every time, heh!"

"What!" the copycat exclaimed, jealous. "I stopped aging at the age of 22 and a half!"

Kagami looked away. "Anyways, what were we talking about before?"

Kise wailed. He absolutely hated being ignored. Midorima dragged the weeping vampire away from the trio. Kuroko pushed Kagami's hand off his head and said, "I believe I was talking to Akashi-sama."

Before Akashi could say anything, a bark echoed in the throne room. Everyone watched the magician's face brighten at the sight of the little animal running to him energetically. Kagami, fearful of the dog, stepped behind Ogiwara in order to save himself.

Kuroko bent down and Nigou hopped into his arms. "Nigou. How did you get here?"

"KUROKO TETSUYA!" a womanly voice bellowed. The puppy hid its face, trying to crawl into the phantom's overcoat for protection.

"What did you do?" Kagami demanded, looking at his leader.

Kuroko remained calm and expressionless. "I might have forgot to tell you two something."

"Like what?" Ogiwara said.

"Nigou chewed on her glasses. I didn't think he would do such a thing."

Kagami shook the phantom. "And you didn't tell her? Why?!"

High heels clacked against the bloody and wet floor as a blonde busty woman stomped into the room. Aomine's eyes popped out of his sockets at the heavenly sight. _God! She's even bigger than Satsuki!_

Kagami growled, "Oi, kid, get a grip on your eyes or else I'll gouge them out!"

Aomine blinked, frozen like a statue when the woman walked past him. Her yellow hair flapped in his face. A strawberry scent breezed past his face and he instinctively leaned into to the scent. "Damn!"

Kise's mouth watered as the woman stalked over to the phantom who held the adorable puppy in his arms. The woman didn't even bother to greet the emperor for her eyes were glued onto the magician. She glared at him intensely and Nigou ran out of Kuroko's arms, landing on the ground as it hid behind Ogiwara.

Akashi quirked a brow. Even the dog was afraid? What did the magician get himself into?

"Good to see you, Alex." Kuroko nodded his head.

She placed a manicured hand on her waist, jutting the curvy part of her hip out. Kagami yelled and pointed at the ogling Aomine and Kise. He looked at the emperor. "Get your soldiers in line!"

Alex turned to look at her old friend. "Geez, Kagami! Relax, will ya? I haven't seen you for several hours and you're still being loud as always."

"They were checking you out!" Kagami retorted. "And why are you wearing booty shorts! It's raining! There's a freaking storm outside!"

"Ah. Really?" she muttered. She twirled a finger in her hair, shutting her eyes. And when those green eyes opened again, they were glowering at the red head. "Don't tell me what to wear, Kagami. You know I hate that the most!"

The red head hid behind Ogiwara who sighed. "Nice to see you again, Alex. What are you here for?"

Alex smiled and focused back on Kuroko. She glared at him. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to cross dress! I could've made you look like princess from heaven! Or even better, I could've made you into a super sexy girl!"

"Huh?" the miracles said, confused. They sweatdropped. The phantom liked to cross dress? Odd hobby.

"It's not like that!" Kagami said, trying to defend Kuroko's man pride. "He pretended to be a girl when we infiltrated Kirisaki!"

"You went to Kirisaki and you didn't tell me?" Alex demanded. She shook the red head by his shirt. "What. If. Baby. Tetsu. Got. Killed? What would you do then! What the hell's wrong with you?"

Kuroko held a hand up. No one noticed him. He sighed. This was how it always went. He reminded, "Ano, Alex? I'm still alive."

Kagami coughed, pushing the crazy woman away from him. "Geez! _You_ need to relax, Alex! Kuroko's perfectly fine. We've scouted enemy territory plenty of times! We're professionals! Besides, he was the one who made the decision!"

"Kagami-kun's right. It was my decision, Alex."

Alex softened her gaze, biting her bottom lip. "Alright, baby Tetsu. If that's what you say, I won't beat the shit out of Kagami then."

Kagami's eyebrow twitched. _She was gonna hit me? I've known her longer than him! _

Kuroko nodded. "Thank you, Alex. How did you know we were in Teiko?"

The woman laughed. "Nigou told me! Even though he broke my glasses, we get along very well. He was worried sick about you, baby Tetsu."

Aomine choked on his spit. Kuroko was a cross dresser. This busty woman could talk to dogs? What was next? Kagami was a playboy?

"Pardon my interruption, but why were you in Kirisaki?" Akashi asked.

Alex wrapped an arm around Kuroko and grinned. "I'm Alexandra Garcia, head chief of the Phantom Troupe. Pleased to meet you." She took a closer look at the red head. "Wow, you're kind of hot. Can I kiss you?"

Aomine gawked. Kise blinked. Did she just say she wanted to kiss Akashi Seijuro? Midorima crossed his arms. Did she just ignore Akashi?

Kagami said to the woman, "Alex, you can't go around kissing people however you want! This isn't your home! People don't kiss like it's breathing air."

Alex chuckled. "Calm down, will ya? I just got overexcited. I mean, this _is_ my first time seeing the glorious emperor of vampires." She winked at the shorter red head.

Akashi merely replied, "Pleased to meet you."

She frowned. "Ahhh. He's one of those guys. Good thing I didn't kiss you then. Not so cute anymore. I guess I'll stick with baby Tetsu. He's much cuter." She rubbed her face against the magician. Aomine grew jealous of the phantom because her boobs were now in his face.

"A-Alex," Kuroko muttered, trying to remove her away from him. Akashi watched the scene, irritated.

When she finally pulled back, she looked at the waiting emperor and said, "Oh right. You were saying?"

"As I was saying, why were you in Kirisaki?"

Kuroko opened his mouth to reply, but then another clacking sound echoed in the room. He turned his head to the right and saw a certain pink-haired vampire stomping over to them. She snapped her clipboard in half. Kagami swore he saw black flames around her because she was radiating a dark and dangerous aura.

"Uh, who's this?" Kagami muttered, trying to ease the situation.

"I'm Momoi Satsuki," the woman introduced, smiling peacefully. The next second, she was shaking Aomine by the throat as she demanded, "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE? WHY ARE MY LOVELY WINDOWS BROKEN? WHY'S THERE WATER IN THE ROOM! ANSWER ME BEFORE I KILL YOU!"

Aomine shut his eyes; his teeth rattled loudly from the jerking motion. He replied with annoyance as he picked his ear, "I don't know, Satsuki."

Kagami nodded his head, sympathizing. "I understand your pain, man. I do."

"Shut up!" Aomine remarked. "I don't need your-"

"You bastard! That's how you treat someone when they're being nice to you?" Kagami shot back. He looked at Momoi and encouraged, "Kill him already! No one needs him in this damn world. Do us all a favor!"

"If you're talking about the windows, Momoi-san," Kuroko said, catching her attention. She turned to look at the magician, finally noticing him. She tucked her pink hair behind an ear, surprised to see him again.

The phantom bowed, polite as ever. "I apologize, Momoi-san, but my team and I crashed through the windows to protect Akashi-sama."

Momoi nodded, thumping red hearts in her eyes already. She said calmly, "I understand. That's perfectly okay...?"

Kuroko introduced himself, "A pleasure to meet you, Momoi-san. I'm Kuroko Tetsuya."

"What a beautiful name," the pinkette praised, dropping her broken clipboard onto the ground. She leaned against Aomine for support. Kagami and Aomine stared at the phantom dumbstruck. They both thought: _How come this midget gets away with things and I don't?_

Ogiwara chuckled. "It's the Kuroko effect, only he can do it. Don't you wish you had it, eh?"

Midorima stared at the brown-haired guy and for some reason, he found himself being reminded of Takao. That idiot would probably say something like that too. _Oha Asa. Please don't let Takao come here. Make him stay in Shutoku. We don't need anymore trouble. _

"What were you saying again?" Akashi said now that Momoi was at peace again. She was close to fainting from her sudden and overwhelming attraction to the phantom.

"Ah. Yes," Kuroko said, nodding his head once. "As I was saying, Akashi-sama. We were in Kiri-"

"SHIN-CHAN! Sorry, I'm-" a voice shouted merrily. Takao Kazunari stopped skipping the moment he spotted dead bodies lying all over the room. He pointed at the shattered window and looked at the group, not recognizing some faces. "Oh my. Did the zombie apocalypse happen in Teiko while I was in Shutoku?"

Midorima exasperatedly slid his taped fingers over his face. _Perhaps Oha Asa did not hear me? I suppose I need to visit her shrine to strengthen our bonds. _

"Zombies don't exist, Takao," the green haired miracle spat out.

Takao gave him an odd look. "Are you sure because I had a dream about a zombie attack and-"

"Shush! Stop talking! There's been enough interruptions for the time being," Midorima said.

The dark-haired vampire held up his hands. "Okay, okay. Geez. What happened to you? Why're you being so pissy? Someone smash your golden raccoon statue?"

Kagami snickered. What nonsense were they talking about?

"Golden raccoon statue?" Ogiwara repeated. He was amused. Takao nodded. "Yeah. Shin-chan, I mean _Midorima_, is a true devoted follower of Oha Asa. He has to have his lucky item every day. It's crazy! He even tapes his fingers."

"It sounds crazy," Ogiwara said.

"It's not crazy! You ordinary people don't understand the power and beauty of Oha Asa."

"Uh huh," Ogiwara and Takao said at the same time. The looked at each other, grinning slowly, before they laughed.

"The long lost brothers are reunited," Kagami muttered, sarcastic. One Ogiwara was enough for him. Another one? He'd rather go back into show business for another two hundred years.

"As I was saying," Kuroko attempted. He shut his mouth and looked around for someone to interrupt. Nothing. He looked at Akashi, still feeling uneasy. Someone was bound to interrupt their talk. "We were-"

"Woah! Who's that?" Takao suddenly declared, pointing at Kuroko. "I did not see him at all. Has he been here this entire time?"

"Yes!" Midorima replied. "Meet Kuroko Tetsuya, the Shadow Phantom. Now shut it."

"What? No way!"

"I know, huh?" Reo said, suddenly appearing next to Takao. "I couldn't believe he was real too."

Soon, Ogiwara was busy talking with Reo and Takao. All three of them were chattering non-stop like they were the best of buddies. Midorima, Akashi, and Kagami simply stood and stared at their close friends. What in the world was going on? They had an odd feeling. This new combo was not a good thing. These three vampires put together meant a world of endless annoying jokes and sassy remarks.

Midorima and Kagami both walked over, pulling their respective partners away from their new brothers. Takao held his arms out to Ogiwara. "Ogi-nii-san, don't forget me! I promise I'll come and rescue you!"

"Takao-nii-san! I'll never forget you! I'll knock Kagami out and save you!"

Kagami and Midorima sighed. "We just saved the world."

Reo quirked his brow, confused. "We were only talking. It's not like we were plotting to take over the world."

"Of course," Akashi said, turning to look at the Rakuzan commander. "That means you three would be fighting against me. I wouldn't hesitate to kill you should that actually happen."

"Sei-chan! I would never do that! How could you say that! You know I love you!" Reo ran over to the emperor, tears in his eyes, and hugged him.

Kuroko sighed. "Perhaps we should save the talk for later?"

Akashi nodded. "I agree. We have to clean up the mess anyways."

And soon, the throne room erupted in a series of complaints and groans because Akashi ordered for all of them to participate in 'clean-up time'. Alex had already excused herself, saying that she had to return back to her troupe. And when the others realized that Kuroko had disappeared with his dog, there was another wave of complaints.

"Damn it! Kuroko!" Kagami muttered.

Ogiwara sighed. "I wish I could be invisible."

"Tch. That lucky kid," Aomine muttered. "Give me some of his magic."

"Aww. I wanted to talk to him some more about his beauty secrets!" Kise said.

Momoi simply fanned herself as she walked around, already beginning to re-design the room. Takao was already picking up a dead body with Midorima's help. Murasakibara brought a wheelbarrow into the room, ready to pile the bodies in.

"Momoi will be supervising you," Akashi informed, walking out the room. "When you finish piling the corpses, burn them."

"Hai, Akashicchi!"

Kagami scowled. "Why do we have to do this?"

"Because you killed a good portion of them!" Aomine reminded.

Momoi smiled, looking at the group of vampires. "Now, now, don't take forever. We still have to take care of the corpses out on the streets."

"NOOOOO!"

* * *

><p>Kuroko took slow steps as he circled around the lit-up water fountain. Nigou sat underneath the bench, taking shelter from the drizzling rain. The night sky still had dark clouds, but the cold wind was no longer howling. Thunder and lightning ceased shouting in the sky. The phantom stared at the glowing blue water and dipped his fingers into the cool liquid. He lifted his hand up and watched the water slide off his fingers in streams of little drops.<p>

"Kuroko Tetsuya."

Kuroko turned to look at the emperor who stood a foot away from him. He nodded his head in a greeting. They had met like this last night.

"You found me, Akashi-sama."

Akashi simply strolled over to the fountain with his arms crossed, standing across from the magician now. He had a jacket draped over his shoulders like a cape. On that jacket was the symbol of Rakuzan district. Kuroko watched the emperor gaze at the spouting water, but he noticed that the stare was distant. A troubled look flashed on the red head's face before quickly disappearing.

"Would you like to talk now, Akashi-sama?"

"Yes." Ruby eyes shifted to him.

Kuroko could see curiosity in the emperor's eyes and chuckled. He figured the emperor wouldn't dare to admit he was curious to know more about him, so he lent the younger vampire a hand. "Ask your questions, Akashi-sama."

"Why are you here?"

Kuroko shoved his hands into the pockets of his grey overcoat. There was not a single drop of blood on his clothes. That's how skilled he was when fighting. He stared at the tip of the porcelain fountain. "I came here to do my mission, Akashi-sama."

"Explain yourself, Tetsuya."

"Lord Akashi ordered me to protect you and that is why I came to Teiko tonight."

Red eyes narrowed. "How long have you had this mission?"

Kuroko smiled. "I've been assigned as your secret bodyguard since your birth, Akashi-sama."

Akashi stood speechless. This man, the Shadow Phantom, had been watching over him since birth? Why? Why would his father do such a thing?

Before the red head could speak, Kuroko explained, "I was to protect you in secrecy. That is why we have never met in person before. I often visited Lord Akashi when you were younger, Akashi-sama."

Akashi, then, realized something. Those three years of peace that ensued after he killed Haizaki. That was because of Kuroko, wasn't it? The magician roamed around the districts, shooting down potential cases where chaos and trouble could arise.

Kuroko smiled again. He knew that Akashi had put the pieces together; he could tell by the emperor's slightly widened eyes. "So you've figured it out?"

Akashi stared at the phantom again. He always thought it was odd. Three consecutive years of peace. That was impossible, especially in this world where ambitious vampires existed. He always thought it was his fear that made his enemies back down but in reality, this magician was silently killing off his enemies without him knowing. "Why show yourself now?"

Kuroko walked to a rose bush, extending his pale hand. His finger brushed the soft petal of a red rose. "Lord Akashi is dead. You'll need my assistance if you want to avenge him, Akashi-sama."

He plucked the rose and held it up for the emperor to see. The stems were full of prickly thorns. The rose exuded a sweet scent and Kuroko leaned forward, sniffing it gracefully. He stared directly at the ocean-blue ring on Akashi's finger. "I see you have Lord Akashi's ring."

Akashi glanced at the ring and looked back at Kuroko. The blue head took a step in his direction, cautiously holding the rose. "That ring actually belongs to me, Akashi-sama."

"Why would my father have it then?"

"As I stated earlier, Lord Akashi and I are allies. To show him my loyalty, I gave him a cherished possession of mine. Of course, that is no ordinary ring, Akashi-sama," Kuroko explained. "That ring is a contract. Now that Lord Akashi is dead, our contract is no longer valid. I don't work for him anymore. I guess you could say my mission is over now. I suppose your father wanted you to make a contract with me and have me assist you."

"You will."

Kuroko quirked a blue brow. "Oh? You sound so sure I'll lend you my strength."

"I need to avenge my father. You have some attachment to him. I know you want to kill the murderer as well."

Kuroko could see the boiling anger in those red eyes. He had once been in that state. When his mother was killed centuries ago, he went on a killing spree to find the murderer. He killed anyone who stood in his way, innocent or not. They were all his enemies. And when he finally caught the murderer and exacted his revenge, he felt empty. Nothing could satisfy him and thus, he traveled alone for hundreds of years. The magician felt a pang of sadness in his chest. Revenge was a dangerous thing. It was like playing with fire. You could burn yourself and lose your identity in the midst of all those negative emotions. Was the emperor even aware of that?

"Are you sure you want to go down this road, Akashi-sama?"

Akashi nodded. "I will not stop until I kill the murderer."

"Do you know what can happen? Are you conscious of the after effects?"

"I am absolute."

Kuroko cocked his head. "How is that an answer?"

"Nothing affects me, Tetsuya."

Kuroko knew there was a difference between Akashi and himself. The emperor was always confident whereas he often found himself wavering at times, but that didn't mean Akashi was immune. The magician decided not to press any further and relented, "If you wish to avenge your father, I will assist you in any way. Come here, Akashi-sama."

Akashi closed the gap and warily observed the blue head. Kuroko pricked his finger with the rose's thorn and dropped the flower on the cobblestone ground. He grabbed Akashi's hand, the one with the ring, and lifted it up. "I, Kuroko Tetsuya, hereby pledge my allegiance to Akashi Seijuro, emperor of the six united districts. I solemnly swear to protect and assist him with all my life. A new contract has been made."

Akashi watched a drop of blood splash onto the ocean-colored ring. The accessory suddenly shined and a gust of wind whirled around them. The emperor stared in awe at the unleashed wave of power. He looked at Kuroko whose sky-blue hair flapped wildly in the strong wind. The light wrapped around the magician, making his fair skin glow. Akashi had never seen such resolved eyes full of determination and sincerity.

Kuroko looked at Akashi. He held up his blood-dripping finger and explained, "You'll have to intake my blood."

"Did my father do this?"

"No."

"Then why do I have to do it?"

Kuroko shrugged. "I guess I assumed wrongly then. Your father did not intake my blood because he did not want to me have full access to my power. It was a matter of pride for him, but perhaps it's the same for you. If you taste my blood, our contract strengthens which means I can use my full power when I need to."

"If it means you'll be at your best, then I'll take it gladly."

Akashi lowered his head to the finger. He brushed his lips against the slender appendage; his tongue licked the light cut. A metallic but sweet taste graced his tongue and as soon as the foreign blood traveled into his system, he immediately felt a surge of power swirl within his body. Was this the true strength of Kuroko's power? He straightened his form, seeing that Kuroko's cut had healed.

Kuroko retracted his hand as the wind died down. "The contract has been completed. Keep my ring on at all times."

"Why?"

Kuroko gave him an amused stare. "Consider it a tracking device, Akashi-sama. It'll make it easier for me to find you during dire situations."

Akashi did not like the idea of being monitored. Why did he, the great emperor, have to follow a condition like that? But if it could help him achieve his goal, then he had no choice but to comply. "Fine."

"I look forward to working with you, Akashi-sama."

Kuroko snapped and Nigou came running to him, cuddling his leg. Akashi watched the mysterious vampire and said, "You'll be staying in the palace from now on, Tetsuya."

"That won't be a problem. Kagami-kun and Ogiwara-kun will be staying with me as well."

"If that's what you want, Tetsuya."

Kuroko glanced over his shoulder, looking at the emperor as he held Nigou in his arms. "Even though they argue a lot, they're my most trustworthiest men. They're capable of serving you, Akashi-sama. Do not hesitate to call on them."

"I suppose so." Akashi led them back to the palace.

* * *

><p>AN: Yep! Kuroko's been babysitting from the shadows! One of the reviews said something about Mayuzumi being apart of the love triangle? Erm, I don't think I'll have him as the third wheel. In fact, I'm not even sure there'll be a love triangle yet. I'm pretty much set on action, a bit of romance, and a spice of comedy. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Hope you enjoyed ^-^


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Important News**

Due to changes in my circumstance, I will be able to continue my stories again. Thank you for reading and reviewing. I apologize for all the stress and confusion. I will return to ffnet in 2 months of time once things have settled down. I will never forget all the reviews left by you wonderful readers. Thank you very much for keeping me strong when things were dark and when I was so close to abandoning you all. Seriously blessed to have people support me and my passion.

Hope to see you soon :)

Belles7.


End file.
